Recalls (5)
NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for the 1986 Hyundai Excel. Check whether yours was repaired with NHTSA's free VIN lookup ↗
Only NHTSA and your automaker know whether your specific car was repaired. PlainVIN shows every recall campaign listed for a model year, with the official text and how many cars have been fixed so far.
Check on NHTSA ↗POWER TRAIN:TRANSMISSION:STANDARD:MANUAL
- Summary
- THE MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS MAY LOCK UP FROM INSUFFICIENT LUBRICATION OF THE GEARS IN THE TRANSMISSION CASE. THIS CAN CAUSE THE DRIVE WHEELS TO SEIZE AND THE VEHICLE TO COME TO A SUDDEN STOP.
- Consequence
- SUDDEN STOPS WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING CAN CAUSE VEHICLEOCCUPANTS TO BE THROWN AROUND IN THE CAR, AND CAUSE LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROLWHICH COULD RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT.
- Remedy
- HYUNDAI WILL PERFORM A COST FREE TRANSMISSION OIL CHANGE.
EXHAUST/CRANKCASE EMISSION CONTROL DEVICES
- Summary
- DETERIORATION OF THE REED VALVE SUBASSEMBLY MAY LEAD TO A MALFUNCTION WITHIN THE SECONDARY AIR SUPPLY PORTION OF THE EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEM. THE SCREWS WHICH ATTACH THE REEDS TO THE REED VALVE SUBASSEMBLY MAY RUST, AND IF THE RUSTING BECOMES SEVERE, THE SCREW HEADS WILL ERODE AND ALLOW THE REEDS TO SEPARATE FROM THE REED VALVE SUBASSEMBLY. CORROSION MAY ALSO OCCUR ON THE REED VALVE SUBASSEMBLY, DEFORMING THE REED SEATS AND PREVENTING THE REEDS FROM CLOSING PROPERLY. SEPARATION OF THE REEDS FROM THE REED VALVE SUBASSEMBLY OR IMPROPER CLOSING OF THE REEDS ALLOW HOT EXHAUST GASES TO FLOW BACKWARD INTO THE PLASTIC SECONDARY AIR FILTER CASE WHEN THE VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN. THESE HOT EXHAUST GASES MAY MELT THE SECONDARY PLASTIC AIR FILTER CASE.
- Consequence
- THE MELTING PLASTIC AIR FILTER CASE MAY LEAD TO A FIREIN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT.
- Remedy
- REPLACE THE REED VALVE SUBASSEMBLY WITH ONE WHOSE METAL COMPONENTS ARE FABRICATED FROM CORROSION RESISTANT STAINLESS STEEL.
EQUIPMENT:SPEED CONTROL
- Summary
- IF CRUISE CONTROL MAIN SWITCH IS IN THE ON POSITION WHEN ENGINE IS STARTED, SYSTEM CAN BE AFFECTED BY A SHORT DURATION VOLTAGE DROP CAUSED BY OPTIONAL HI-POWER (H340) RADIO.
- Consequence
- THIS COULD CAUSE ERRATIC CRUISE CONTROL OPERATION, WHICHCOULD RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT.
- Remedy
- REPLACE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE.
BRAKES:HYDRAULIC:DISC:PADS AND SHOES
- Summary
- VEHICLE MAY FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE BRAKE FADE AND RECOVERY PORTION OF FMVSS 105.
- Consequence
- THERE MAY BE A LOSS OF BRAKING EFFICIENCY DURINGREPEATED HARD APPLICATION OF BRAKES WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH WITHOUT PRIORWARNING.
- Remedy
- REPLACE FRONT BRAKE PADS WITH NEWLY DESIGNED SEMI METALLIC BRAKE PADS.
BRAKES:HYDRAULIC:LINKAGE:PEDAL
- Summary
- A COTTER PIN IN THE BRAKE PEDAL TO BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER LINKAGE ASSEMBLY MAY BE MISSING. THIS PIN ACTS AS A RETAINER FOR THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER PUSHROD CLEVIS PIN. CONSEQUENCE OF DEFECT: THE CLEVIS PIN MAY SLIDE OUT CAUSING THE MASTER CYLINDER/BRAKE PEDAL LINKAGE TO BECOME DISENGAGED. IF THIS LINKAGE BECOMES DISENGAGED THE SERVICE BRAKES CANNOT BE APPLIED, CREATING THE RISK OF A CRASH WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.
- Remedy
- INSPECT AND INSTALL BRAKE LINKAGE COTTER PIN AS NECESSARY.
PlainVIN shows public government records for education. It isn't a vehicle inspection or legal advice. Check your own VIN with NHTSA or your dealer.
Owner complaints (13)
13 complaints filed with NHTSA (owner reports, not verified findings). The power train is mentioned most often.
As reported by owners in their complaints. These are reports, not NHTSA findings.
Most-reported components
| Component | Complaints | % of 13 |
|---|---|---|
| Power train | 4 | 30.8% |
| Electrical system | 3 | 23.1% |
| Engine and engine cooling | 2 | 15.4% |
| Fuel system | 1 | 7.7% |
| Seat belts | 1 | 7.7% |
| Service brakes | 1 | 7.7% |
| Structure | 1 | 7.7% |
| Tires | 1 | 7.7% |
| Visibility | 1 | 7.7% |
How 1986 compares with other Excel years
Best and worst Excel years →| Model year | Complaints | Recall campaigns |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 13 | 5 |
| 1987 | 13 | 4 |
| 1988 | 43 | 4 |
| 1989 | 68 | 4 |
| 1990 | 38 | 2 |
| 1991 | 38 | 1 |
| 1992 | 34 | 1 |
| 1993 | 20 | 1 |
| 1994 | 33 | 2 |
| 1995 | 5 | 0 |
Counts are owner reports, not failure rates. Higher sales years tend to draw more reports. Owners are still filing reports for recent model years, so these counts will grow. Source: NHTSA ODI, retrieved Oct 6, 2026.
Looking at a 1986 Excel for sale?
Print a one-page buyer's checklist: each recall campaign with a box to tick when the seller shows proof of repair, the top complaint areas to inspect, crash stars, MPG, and a link back to this page.
Where to next
1986 Hyundai Excel FAQ
How many recalls does the 1986 Hyundai Excel have?
NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns: 93V167000 (power train), 91V225000 (engine), 89V100000 (vehicle speed control), 87V180000 (brake), 86V043000 (brake). Use NHTSA's VIN lookup to see whether a specific car was repaired.
What are the most common 1986 Hyundai Excel problems?
Owners filed 13 complaints with NHTSA. Power train (4), Electrical system (3), Engine and engine cooling (2) are mentioned most. These are owner reports, not verified findings.
How does the 1986 Excel compare with other years?
Among the 1986–1995 Hyundai Excel model years at least five years old, the 1995 drew the fewest complaints (5) and the 1989 the most (68). The 1986 drew 13. Counts are owner reports, not failure rates.
How this page was madeSources, processing, limits, review and changes
Data sources
- NHTSA recalls by vehicle
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - US DOT recall completion rates (data.transportation.gov)
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - NHTSA ODI owner complaints
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - NHTSA NCAP 5-Star Safety Ratings
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - EPA fuel economy data (licence confirmation pending)
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - EIA weekly retail gasoline prices
Weekly, all taxes included
Processing
- Complaints are counted per component. One complaint can list several, so component totals add up to more than the total.
- Fuel cost = miles per year ÷ EPA combined mpg × EIA weekly price for your region.
Limitations
- Complaint counts are owner reports, not verified findings or failure rates. There is no sales denominator.
- Recall campaigns are listed for the model year. Only NHTSA and the automaker know whether a specific car was repaired.
- Recent model years are still collecting reports.
Review
Data compiled automatically from the official files listed here.
Changelog
- 2026-10-06 Data refreshed from the official files.